A real problem with Hi End audio is that it is either completely unknown or viewed as an obscure and elitist preoccupation by the public in general.
Video's a different story. Your local Best Buy can pedal $4000 TV's but can't aford to carry $1000 receivers because they just don't sell.
I'm not sure it's all because people are lazy, Hi end audio is just not well known, and is generally viewed as too complicated to be understood, thus the florishing trade of the custom installer.